Pio Pio Pollo

Great spot to hit before a hike for some fuel! Really nice, new owner that is obviously proud of his food. Ask for suggestions then be ready to get messy with the chicken.

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Changed to new owners and they greatly reduced the portion of food, although the price remained the same. For a burrito, they fill the spoon ½−2/3 of the way; old owners gave you a real spoonful of whatever item you chose. It is disappointing to see them being so chintzy with the portions.

Basic inexpensive Peruvian. Good quality. Beans, rice were fresh, guac could be fresher. Green sauce was awesome!

We were headed to Great Falls Park and I stopped for lunch with my 4 young children we ordered quesadillas and a side of chips and fries. Plenty of food! The girl at the counter was very helpful and sweet. It’s always stressful going out to eat with the kids but this was a very pleasant experience. I gave it four stars instead of five because the food was good but didn’t blow me away.

Not bad! Stopped in here for a quick lunch. Was greeted right away and ordered immediately. By the time I said I wanted a half chicken, a guy appeared with a plate asking what sides I wanted. I opted for my ususal fried Yuca, although I thought it was strange that they charge extra for it, as I’ve never seen that before. For my other side I chose the fajita vegetables. The chicken was really good, and flavored well. My only suggestion for improvement for the chicken would be to cook it at a little higher temp to get the skin crispy. Other than that it was delicious and very moist. I opted for only yellow sauce, as I like that a lot more than the green. Halfway through my meal the lady at the register noticed that I was tearing through the sauce, and offered to bring me another which to which I gladly accepted. The fajita veg was okay, nothing that blew me away. I like my vegetables to be cooked a little more than what these were, but at least they were seasoned well. Definitely a decent peruvian chicken joint worth going to. Not sure if I’d go out of my way to go back again thoguh.

The chicken and the sides are good. This is a nice quick meal, but not the best in the area by any means for Peruvian chicken or mexican.

Great chicken!!! Get some and take it home. Pair it up with plantains, yuka and spinach.

Nice combo of Peruvian chicken and burritos. Clean and pleasant. Excellent chips and gauc. The Nutella and banana quesidila was great. Will go again soon.

Finally a restaurant in Great Falls with healthy foods! Chicken breast with fresh vegetable options! Can’t get that at most of the other joints in town.

Very good Peruvian Chicken. Great smoky BBQ flavor, good size portions for the price for ½ chicken and sides. A great find in Great Falls

I’ve been to a lot of pollo places and this is the real deal, albeit in a more «upscale» setting. The food here is so savory and fresh. I’ve been here twice this week and enjoyed the chicken tacos and the various delicious sides, including the authentically Peruvian sides. Highly recommended!

Well we have had two family dinners in two days from Pio Pio. I have to say that we highly recommend it to Great Falls Families. Night one we have the Chicken which is top shelf. The sides and sauces were great and you can tell that they are store made. Night two we went back because they have burritos and quesadillas. Burritos were awesome and I feel better than Chipotle or California which are our other local choices. The Quesadillas were also very good. Pleased a very picky child that hates everything. I am glad to have them in the neighborhood. Our experience was worth posting about — my wife (a very very picky person) even suggested we share how good it was. That is all! Enjoy.

Great food, great casual family atmosphere, great addition to the neighborhood. Love their chicken and they have increased portions of sides and selections of sides so they are great too!

I wish there were negative stars to give. I have now been there three times. The first time the food was terrible but they just opened so that’s normal. The second time I went I had the rotisserie chicken and it was pretty good. The third time I went, last Monday, I got the burrito bowl and it gave me food poisoning. I haven’t been that sick in years. I talked to another friend of mine in Great Falls and he said that he has at least 5 buddies that had the same experience recently. I called the Fairfax County Health Department and reported Pio Pio Tummy Hurtings. I also gave my buddy the number to the HD so that his friends can call and report them as well.
NEVER AGAIN!!!
It’s so sad because there is one of these places over in Reston next to the Home Depot that is to die for. They have three giant rotisseries that fire up early and that amazing smell permeates the parking lot which brings me in every time.
If you want rotisserie chicken then go to Boston Market in Sterling or Pollo Peru in Reston. If you don’t want to escape the inside of your bathroom for 48 hours, then try this place.

I came here the other day and got the ¼ chicken with rice and plantains. Having lived in Peru for 5 months last year, I know how authentic Peruvian food is supposed to taste and like and this comes very close! The chicken was moist and well seasoned, the rice wasn’t like what I’ve had in Peru before (which is usually white rice unless you get arroz chaufa, arroz con pollo or arroz con mariscos, etc) but it was delicious. Plantains were a little too greasy for me but I tried my Moms yuquitas and loved them! Comes with a mayonnaise sauce with some extra flavor in it and the green jalapeño sauce! I wish they could import some aji or rocoto but this jalapeño sauce is just as delicious! The lady who I believe is the owner/​manager is nice and from what I can tell speaks Spanish fluently. The two guys who served the food couldn’t be kinder as well. Festive Mexican decorations. Next time I’m trying their Mexican food.

Tasty, juicy chicken, love the hot sauce, everyone in the family can eat for under $ 30 (with leftovers) and best of all. drumroll… they DELIVER!!!

Stopped in for a quick lunch. Had the ¼ chicken with plantains and a flavorful rice side. Excellent chicken, juicy and yummy,. Plentiful and tasty plantains. Lots of delicious rice with some veggies sprinkled in. I’ll be back frequently.
Pio’s is comfortable and very clean, the staff is extra friendly, servings are generous; the homemade sauces are very good, smooth and tasty.; and I really liked the smoked pepper hot sauce.
THE EXTRA BONUS isn’t on the menu — HORCHATA — ! ! ! This was my very first one, horchata is milk, vanilla, cinnamon, ice, and you’ll have to ask the staff about the nutrition info and the full ingredients list.. .. Horchata is a vanilla, cinnamony, smooth and light milkshake.
They advertise Catering delivery 7 days a week, 11am — 9pm. And may offer extended hours if you ask.
Update. . Pio Pios Horchata is great. If you are looking for a more substantial desert then Great Falls Creamery is only a few steps away. Ice cream, pies, cheese, and more. Old fashioned, organic, Pennsylvania, maybe triple cream ?, friendly, and with relaxed outdoor seating on The Green.

I’m SO HAPPY to find a place to go to for lunch around this desolate town! SO yummy! Going back for lunch today!

I’m a Great Falls resident for the past 20 years and was eager to try one of the new and few restaurants we have in the Village Center. What lured me to their cuisine was the yuca. After having a fabulous experience and enjoying tasty crispy yuca at Delia’s in Springfield, VA, I wanted to try the yuca that is offered on Pio Pio Pollo’s menu as well.
The location is fairly easy to find, right next to The Old Brogue, an infamous Great Falls Irish pub. There is ample seating and only a few patrons were in the establishment when I arrived shortly after 12 noon. The seating area was clean and tidy. The restaurant staff were accommodating.
There is a choice of side selections served from behind the glass counter. The staff fills your plate based on your selections. I choose the ¼ chicken and two sides. The price was $ 6.99 but there was an additional 50 cent for the yuca which surprised me. The staff didn’t say anything nor was there a sign near the yuca stating it was extra when I ordered. I didn’t find out about the additional charge until I was at the register to pay for my meal.
On taste. The chicken was tender, moist, well seasoned and did not disappoint. The mixed vegetables I chose were good, but unremarkable. The biggest disappointment was the yuca, especially since I paid extra for it. The yuca was bland, dry and had a grainy texture. Being older, I was raised to eat everything on my plate, but I could not finish the yuca, it just wasn’t that good.
Would I go back? Possibly, but I definitely would order regular fries instead of yuca. As mentioned, the chicken was pretty good, worth a return visit. The food experience needs to be memorable, sort of a «wow» factor when you leave the restaurant. Not yet the case for Pio Pio Pollo.
With institutionalized restaurants like the Old Brogue next door, Pio Pio Pollo will have to improve their game if they are to compete and stay in business.
As for satisfying my yuca craving, I think I’ll try Delia’s new location in Countryside (Sterling) next time instead. As always, your mileage will vary.
UPDATE 1÷14÷2015 — tried Delia’s in Countryside and disappointed — no yuca and food was okay. See my Delia’s review for more info.

It’s great to have a new restaurant in Great Falls, and luckily it’s great! I had a half-​chicken with yucca and black beans. The dark-​meat part of the chicken was excellent; the white-​meat part was nice but no better than you can get anywhere else, but that’s probably just because it’s white meat.
The sides were a little skimpy compared to Pollo Peru and others. I received exactly five yucca fries, compared with maybe twenty at other places. The black beans were also just a small container.
So the chicken, particularly the dark meat, is excellent. At $ 9 for half a chicken, it’s not too expensive either. I’d highly recommend asking for dark meat. The sides are too skimpy for the price, but still nice. Hopefully this will become a Great Falls institution.